Vending-machine.



A. D. ANTOINE, A. E. GEBERT 8; C. C. TRAVIS.

VENDING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION-FILED 02c. 17. 1913.

1%;753. PatentedSept. 11, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

DL'ANTOINE, A. E. GEBERT & C. C. TRAVIS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I7, I913.

1 289358. PatentedSept; 11, 1917.

3' SHEETSSHEE]' 2.

III Ilmmm A. D. ANTOINE, A. GEBERT & C. C. TRAVIS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man use. 11, 1913.

7. 1 9 1 11 1 bp av S d an t n e t a D1 3 SHEETSSHEET 3- m w J r snares rannr nib.

ALFRED D. ANTOINE AND ALBERT E. GEBERT, OF CHICAGO, AND CLARENCE C. TRAVIS,

OF EVANSTON, ILLINGIE,

ASSIG-NORS TO ADVANCE MiZOHINE (30., OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VENDING-Machine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 11917.

Application filed December 17, 1913. Serial No. 807,163.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED D. ANTOINE {LIlCl'J'hLBERT E Grenn'r, residing at Chicago, and Chairmen C. TRAVIS, residing at Evanston, Cook county, and State of Illinois, all citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in.

Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification. i i

This invention relates to'improvements in vending machines, particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited in its use, for vending articles of ball shape, such as chewing gum, or other objects ofspherical configuration, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved machine of this character having means for insuring the delivery of the commodity from the machine upon each proper oaeration thereof, such as the operation of the machine when a proper check or coin has been deposited therein A further object is to provide unimproved machine of this character having delivery mechanism for discharging the commodity and for maintaining a reserve supply there in, whereby after the mechanism has been once actuated to deliver one supply of the commodity, the reserve supply will always insure a delivery of thecommodity upon the next operationof the mechanism.

Afurther object is to provide an improved device of this character embodying a hopper for holdinga supply of the articles and means within the hopper for relieving the delivery mechanism of aportion of the weight of the bulk of the articles, and which means also serves the the articles from becoming JZLIIIIIIGCl or packed in the hopper.

A'further object isto provide an improved machine of this character having a tray or receptacle for receiving the commod ity as it is delivered from themachine, and

means for preventing a person from removing the commodity-from the tray or re ceptaclefby brushing the hand or fingers across the receptacle, thereby resulting in a more sanitary structure.

To the attainmentof these ends, and, the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the'invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangepurpose of preventing 7 ment of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, and in which:

Figure l is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of an. improved machine of this type, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, and as taken on line l l, Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the Fig. 7 is a detail view taken on line 7-7, Fig. 1. i

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line s s, Fig. 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and in the present exemplification of this invention, the numeral 10 designates generally the supporting base of the structure and which is preferably provided with legs 11.- Thebase is provided with a top 12 having a center aperture 13 therethrough, and the aperturcd portion of the top which surrounds the aperture 13 is inclined or beveled as at ll in a direction toward the opening so as to direct the articles toward the opening. A hopper 15 preferably in the form of a transparent globe, is provided, having its top and bottom open as at 16, 17, and the open bottom rests upon the top 12 of the base 10, preferably upon packing 1S, inthe form of a gasket, which latter is preferably recessed in the top 12, to prevent moisture from entering the hopperfrom the outside. A cap 19 preferably in the form of an annular member rests upon the top of the hopper, to surround the opening 16, and is provided with a flange 20 which engages under an annular shoulder 21 on the hopper. The annular memberis provided with a cross bar 22 through which fastening rods or bolts 23 pass, and these rods or bolts are provided with threaded extremities 24.

which enter threaded apertures in the top 12 of the base and serve as a means for securing the hopper to the base. A removable cap 'is provided with a flange 26 which engages over the flange of the annular memcover cotiperates. These projecting portions 27, 28 are provided with registering apertures through which a headed and apertured lug 29 asses, so that the head will be on one .side and the aperture of the lug will be on the other side, to receive a fastening device 30 for locking the cover in position.

F Arranged within the base 10, and beneath the aperture 13 is a housing .31, which isremovably secured to the lower face of the top 12 of the base preferably by means of fastening devices 32, which pass through cars 33 and engage the top 12, for removably securing the housing in position.

The top of the housing is open to form communication with the interior of the hopper through theopening 13, and the bottom of the housing is provided with an opening 34 therethrough and which opening is arranged preferably out of alinement or regv ister with the opening 13. A slide or carrier designated generally by the reference numeral 35 is arranged within the housing 31and is provided with a portion 36 which moves in suitable guides 37 (see particularly Figs. 5 to 8'), to form a closure for the opening 13, when the slide is moved toward one end of the housing, and when it is moved toward the opposite end of the housing, the portion 36 will uncover the opening 13.

This slide 35 is provided witha chamber 38, preferably tubular in construction and is provided with an entrance opening 39 through the top of the slide, the portion of the chamber 38 adjacent and around the opening 39 being preferably enlarged j as shown in Fig. 5. A portion of the wall of the chamber 38 is cut away as at 11 and a cut-off 4-2, carried by the wall of the housing 31 is so arranged that it will enter the cutaway portion 41 of the chamber 38, when the entrance to the housing is moved out of register with the opening 13, for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. 7

The bottom of the chamber 38 is open, and is closed, when the slide is moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, by the bottom 43 of the housing 31, but when the slide is moved into the position shown in Fig. 6, the open bottom of the chamber 38 will register with the opening 3 1 in the bottom of the housing 31, to permit the article which is carried by this movement of the slide, toward the opening 34, to drop through the opening 3 1 and into a chute 4A, which latter is. preferably arranged in an inclined position, so that the' article'will roll down the chute, to pass through the opening 15 in the front of the base 10 to be deposited into a tray or receptacle 16adj-acent the opening. This trayor receptacle-is pro vided with an opening 47 through its "base to permit foreign matter to pass therethrough, and is also provided with a lug 18, projecting upwardly from the bottom of the tray and which lug is preferably arranged in front of but spaced from the opening 45, and forms a stop for the article which is dispensed through the opening #15. L Ears or lugs 19 are arranged on the opposite sides of theopening 15and on opposite sides of, the lug 48. Thus it will be seen that when thearticle isdischargedthrough the opening 45 from the chute 4A it will be deposited inthe tray 16 between thelugs 4 8 19, and can only be removed therefrom by the fingers of the operator, the lugsservingthe purpose of preventing the-operator from removing the article from the trayby brushing his hand or fingers across the tray, thereby producing a more sanitary struc ture. j Y

The slide 35' may bereciprocatedin the housing31 in any suitable manner, but in the present exemplification of this inven# tion there is shown an operating handle 50,

which is journaled in a suitable support,

carried by the base and is provided with a crank arm 51, *(shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 1), and'which arm is'p1'ovidecl 'with a portion which extends into a slot 52,*(see also Fig. 7), in the slide 35,and also pro.-

jectsthrough a cutaway portion 53in the side of the housing 31. An elastic member 5 1 is connected by one extremity with the handle 50 and tends normally to'move the handlein one direction to move the slide 35 into the position shownin Fig. 5, When the handle 50 is movedin the; opposite direction it will movethe slide fromthe position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig.

The base 10 is closed by aremovable bidsure 56 having a locking device 57 and the Q chute 44 V is preferably supported by this closure so that when the closure is removed, the chute will also be removed. The check or coin from the check controlled mechanism 55 after passing through the said mechanism will be discharged, therefrom into a suitable receptacle 58 formedin the closure 56f I I The articles59 to be vendedpare the reeeyss shape ofbal'ls, or sphericalmembers and a supply thereof is held in the hopper 15, to be discharged through the opening 13 into the chamber 38' of the slide 35, when the chamber is properly positioned. In order to insurethearticles entering the chamber 38 in the slide, and to prevent them from wedging, a suitable agitator may be provided, Which is shown in the present form of the inventionas comprising uprights 60 in the form of pins orlugs, which are carried by the slide, preferably adjacent the entrance opening 38, and project through the opening 13 into the hopper so that When the slide is moved backwardly and forwardly, the agitator 60 will shift the articles 5 I i In order to prevent the articles from packing in. the hopper there is provided a swinging support preferably in the form of a pendent 61, which. is swingingly supported preferably by the cross bar 22 of the annular member 20, and this element (il'is provided with a head 62, preferably in the form of a disk supported substantially horizontally and upon which some of the articles rest, and by its swinging movement it is free to assume any position, and will also serve to prevent packing. i i

If desired adeflector 63 may be provided, and upon which the coin will drop from the check controlled mechanism in the closure 56. n, a

lVhen it is desired'to fill the hopper all that is necessary is to remove the cover 25.

It is thought that from the above descrip tion the operation will be clearly understood but briefly stated'it is as follows; particular reference beinghad to Figs. 5 to 8:

' Assuming the parts to be in their normal positions as shown in ,Fig; 5, the chamber SSof the slide 35 will be in a positionrto receive a plurality of the articles from the hopper, the lowermost article resting upon the bottom 33 of the housing 31, while the next article will be supported by the first article. lVhen the handle 50 is operated the slide will be moved towardthe rightfrom the positionshown inFig. 5 or into the po-' sition shown in Fig. 6. As the chamber 38 approaches the opening 34, it wilhalso approach the cutoff 42,; and the latter will enter the cutawayportion-ll, of the chamber 38 t6 passb'etw'eenthe two lowermost articles therein, so that when the chamber .38 has assumed a position that its bottom will register with the opening 34, the lowermost article in the chamberwill drop through the opening into the chute 45L to be delivered into the tray or receptacle 46. During the time that the l'owermos't article .isbeing deli'vered to the chute 44, the remaining arti' cles in the chamber will b held therein by the utor? l2. Afterthe lowermost article has been tlius discharged, andtheliandle 50 released, the remaining articles in the chamber 38, which serve in the nature of a reserve supply, will drop farther into the chamber 38 as the latter is moved back to the position shown in Fig. 5, so that one of the articles will assume thepositio-n occupied by the article discharged on the forward movement of the slide. Thus it will be manifest that there will be always maintained a reserve supply in the chamber 38, 4

to insure the delivery of an articleupon each operation of the slide in the discharging direction. p i

lVhile in the present exemplification of this invention, the preferred forms and constructions have been herein shown and described it is to beunderstood that various changes may be made in the details of constructions, and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit of this invention. and while the chamber 38 is shown to be of a size to receive and maintain only two articles, it to be understood that the chamber may be constructed of a size to hold any desired number of articles. That is claimed as new is l. A vending machine embodying a holder for a supply of articles, and delivery mechanism for the articles, the said mechanism embodyingprovisions for receiving and si multaneously holding a plurality of articles from the supply, and provisions whereby some of the articles will be retained in the delivery mechanism while another article is delivered therefrom.

2. A vending machine embodying a holder for a supply of articles, and delivery mech anism for the articles, said mechanism embodying a sliding carrier having a chamber therein for receiving and simultaneously holding a plurality of articles from the supply, and provisions whereby one of the articles will be delivered from the chamber andanother article will beretained in the chamber when the delivery mechanism is actuated."

3. Avending machine embodying a holder for a supply of articles, delivery mechanism for the articles, said mechanism embodying a carrier for receiving and holding a' pinrality of articles, provisionswhereby theac tuation of the carrier will cause one of the articles to be delivered therefrom and another' a rticle toflbe retained in the carrier, means tending normally to move the carrier in one direction, and means for moving the carrier in the oppositedirection and against the stress of the last recited means.

4. A vending machine embodying a holder for a supply of articles, delivery mechanism for the articles and embodying a chamber for receiving a plurality of the articles from the supply, means for actuating the carrier, means whereby one "article will be delivered from the carrier upon the actuation of the latter in one direction, and a cutoff operating to retain another of the articles in the carrier while the last'said article is being delivered therefrom.

5. A vending machine embodying a holder for a supply ofarticles, delivery mechanism for the articles embodying a carrier having a chamber for receiving the articles from the supply, said chamber having a discharge outlet, means forming a closure for the outlet of the chamber, provisions whereby the outlet of the chamber will be opened at a predetermined point in the movement of the carrier to permit an article to pass through the outlet, provisions operating to close the outlet to another article in the chamber during the time that one article is being discharged therefrom, and provisions for actuating the carrier.

j 6. A vending machine embodying a holder for a supply of articles, delivery mechanism for the articles embodying a carrier having a chamber for receiving the articles from the supply, said chamber having a discharge outlet, means forming a closure for the out let of the chamber, provisions whereby the outlet of the chamber .willbe opened at a predetermined point in the movement of the carrier .to permit an article to pass through the outlet, a. cutoff operating to retain an article in the chamber while another article is being discharged therefrom, and means for actuating the carrier, said cutoff and carrier being relatively movable,one with respect to the other.

7. A vending machine embodying a hop per for holding a supply of articles, deliv ery mechanism for the articles, said mechanism embodying a housing and a carrier movable therein, said carrier provided with a chamber having an entrance movable into position to receive the articles from the hopper and out of such position, said chamber having an outlet adapted to be closed by awallofthe housing, said wall'having a passage with which the outlet of the chamher ,is adapted to register, provisions for moving the carrier to alternately open and close theoutletof the chamber therein, and provisions for retaining some of the articles against discharge from the chamber when the outlet thereof is opened. v y i 8. A vending machine embodying a holder for a supply of articles, said holder having an outlet, delivery mechanism for the arti cles, said delivery mechanism embodying a carrier having an inlet adapted to be moved into and out of registerwiththe outlet, of the holder, meansfor moving thecarrier, said chamber adaptedto hold a plurality of articles, provisions whereby only a portion of the articles will be delivered from the chamber upon each operation of the carrier, and a cutoff connected with the" carrier and operating to open and close the utletofthe said holder andwhen the carrier is actuated to cause the entrance of the chamber therein to be movedrespectively "into andout of register with the said outlet.

f 'QJAvending machine embodying, a hopper, for holding a supply of spherical articles, delivery mechanism therefor, said mechanism' embodying a carrier having a chamber adapted to receive and hold a tpln rality of articles, provisions for"reta ining a portion of the articles in the chamber while another portion is discharged therefrom when the carrier is actuated, a housing for all of sald mGChELHISDIJPIOVlSJOIIS for actuating the carrier, and a chute for receiving the articles from the carrier and carrying them to the outside of the housing; I

10; A vending machine embodying article dispensing mechanism," and a support for receiving the dispensed article, there being projections extending abovethe face of the support spaced from the end and front walls of the receptacle and also spaced from each other in staggered relation, and between which projections the article rests upon the support. 7 11. A- vending machine embodying article dispensing mechanism, an open receptacle for receiving the dispensed article, there be ing spaced cooperatingiprojections extending from the faces of the receptacle and betweenwhich projections thearticle rests in,

the receptacle, said projections spacedfrom and disposed intermediatethe end walls of of the receptacle, ,onez'oftheprojections op- V erating as a stop for the article as it is delivered on to the support, saiduprojections bemg'oflset and terminating short of;each other. w I

, 13. A vendingmachine embodying ahop- Y per. for holding a supply of articlegdispensing mechanism, and means within the hop- 7 per for sustaining. a portion; of the weight of the, articles, the said means embodying substantially ,horizpntally disposed disk, and I a pendent supporting stem mounted for free universal movement and with which stem thediskis rigidly connected, v V V '14. A vending machine embodyingafhop per for holding :a supply of articles, dispens' ingmechanism, and means withinthehop- V perlfor sustainin a portion of the, weight of the art cles", t esaid means embodying a; substantially 'horitontallygdisposed disk,

V the receptacle and terminating short ofthe D and a single supporting stem arranged at a right angle to the disk and mounted for free swinging movement.

15. A vending machine embodying a hop per for holding a supply of articles, dispens: ing mechanism, and means within the hopper for sustaining a portion of the weight of the articles, the said means embodying a substantially horizontally disposed disk, and a single supporting stem for the disk mounted for free swinging movement.

16. A vending machine embodying a hopper for holding a supply of articles, dispensing mechanism, and means Within the hopper for sustaining a portion of the Weight Copies of this patent may be obtained for names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 13th day of December, A. D. 1913.

ALFRED D. ANTOINE. ALBERT E. GEBERT. CLARENCE C. TRAVIS.

Witnesses:

E. B. BARNARD, S. J. AMBRosE.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

